Hanger for disc-shaped phonograph records



Feb. 25, 1969 I P. cm 3,

HANGER FOR DISC-SHAPED PHONQGRAPH RECORDS Filed June 23. 1967 1 mH'JW um 0 l 40 3 l I s? 41' Q m 4 1 4 4/ 43 46 Q Tanya EP/doa IN VENTOR.

ATTOF/VEX United States Patent 3,429,629 HANGER FOR DISC-SHAPED PHONOGRAPH RECORDS Paolo Cilia, 1858 73th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11214 Filed June 23, 1967, Ser. No. 648,329 US. (:1. 312- 3 Claims Int. Cl. A4711 81/06 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hanger for disc-shaped phonograph records comprising first and second mutually pivoted parts, each part having an open edge leading into the interior thereof, one part fitting within the other so that it can be rotated full circle relative thereto upon the mutual pivot, and a hook on the outer part, so that said inner part can be rotated until said open edges face in the same direction or sufficiently close to the same direction to permit placement of a phonograph record edgewise into the interior of said inner part through its open edge, or to withdraw a record therefrom, after which the parts may be rotated until the pair of open edges face toward one another thereby closing their mutual interiors, and the holder can be hung by the hook.

Background 0 the invention Flat, disc-shaped, phonograph records present a storage problem. If stacked vertically, they warp, reducing their fidelity and value. Accordingly, they are usually stacked horizontally, so that each record supports only its own weight, and that on edge, so that warping is reduced or eliminated.

However, means must be provided to keep each record upright on edge. Many such means are known, e.g., separate narrow compartments for each record, wire posts or loops rising vertically between each pair of records, etc.

Such means are inadequate. They Waste a great deal of space in any event, and especially when only less than capacity number of records are to be horizontally stacked. They make it diflicult to locate a desired record, to handle the plurality of records, and to reshuffle the stack, as when playing seriatum from one end.

Summary of the invention A hanger for disc-shaped phonograph records, wherein a container adapted to enclose and support the record on edge therewithin is provided, formed in two mutually pivoted parts, each part having an open edge leading into the interior of that part which open edge is at least as great in major dimension as the diameter of the record, one part fitting within the other so that it can be rotated full circle relative thereto upon the mutual pivot, and a hook on the outer part, the proportions being such that when the inner part is rotated until its open edge faces toward the open edge of the outer part their mutual interior is fully enclosed and a record carried therein may be hung by said hook, while When the inner part is rotated until its open edge faces approximately in the same direction as the open edge of the outer part, edgewise access to the mutual interior suflicient to put in or take out the record is provided.

Brief description of the figures FIG. 1 is a plan view of a hanger for disc-shaped phonograph records according to the invention, partially broken away to show a record contained therein, and disposed in a closed or storage orientation;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the hanger shown in FIG. 1 showing a portion thereof pivoted upon another portion thereof to give edgewise access thereto for insertion or removal of a record;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial detail section view of the hanger shown in FIG. 1 taken along plane 3-3 therein, showing a first embodiment of a pivot structure therefor; and

FIG. 4 is also an enlarged partial section view corresponding to that shown in FIG. 3 but showing a second embodiment of a pivot structure.

Detailed description of the figures Referring now to the figures in detail, there is shown a hanger for disc-shaped phonograph records, indicated generally at 10, in FIG. 1, which is preferably generally circular in plan view (FIGS. 1 and 2) and planar in elevation (FIGS. 3 and 4), so as to present a general disc configuration when disposed in the closed position shown in FIG. 1. The disc configuration is preferred in order to conserve space by most closely conforming to the configuration of a disc-shaped phonograph record. Other configurations however can be employed, provided that opening and closing thereof is afforded in accordance with the principles of the invention discussed hereinafter.

The hanger 10 comprises a pair of pivotally connected portions 20, 30 which, as may be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, can be mutually rotated upon a pivot structure indicated generally at 40 which is located at the center of hanger 10 to give full diametric edgewise access to the interior thereof (FIG. 2) for insertion or removal of a record 50, and can alternatively be mutually rotated to a fully closed position (FIG. 1) wherein the parts 20, 30 fully enclose the record 50.

The portions 20, 30 are essentially each, in plan view (FIG. 1), semi-circular in outline. However, each of portions 20, 30 encompasses slightly more than semi-circle, in order that there be an overlap therebetween for purposes of effecting a pivotal connection. Thus, when the portions 20, 30 are rotated into the fully closed position shown in FIG. 1, a diameter DD exists through pivot structure 40, and portion 20 includes an edge 21 (FIG. 1), and portion 30 includes an edge 31 (FIG. 2), which are each parallel to diameter DD but which extend past each other to achieve the aforesaid overlap between the edges 21, 31. While this is the preferred arrangement, it is entirely possible to arrange each of portions 20, 30 as precise 180 sectors and still effect pivotal connection therebetween. Portion 20 constitutes the upper portion of the hanger 10 from the standpoint of its orientation during storage of a record, and accordingly is provided with a hanger hook 22, preferably located on a radius of hanger 10 which is perpendicular to the diameter DD when the hanger 10 is in the closed position, and in the illustrated embodiment is perpendicular to edge 21.

The entire hanger 10 is preferably fabricated in a plastic material, e.g. in molded polyvinylchloride. The two illustrated embodiments differ only in the pivot structure practiced (FIGS. 3 and 4). Depending upon which of the two embodiments is practiced, there will be either two or four molded parts which are assembled to form the hanger 10. As may be seen in FIG. 3, the pivot portion indicated generally at 40 includes a web 20a spaced from a web 20b, and joined along the circular edge 20c (FIG. 1). The webs 20a, 20b are not joined along edge 21, but are spaced apart as may be seen in FIG. 3. Similarly, the portion indicated generally at 30, as may be seen in FIG. 3, comprises a pair of spaced webs 30a, 30b, which are spaced apart but which are more closely spaced than webs 20a, 2% so that the pair of spaced webs 30a, 30b fit inside of the pair of spaced webs 20a, 20b. The webs 30a, 30b are joined along the circular edge of portion 30 indicated (FIG. 1) at 30c.

As may be seen in FIG. 1, the outer radius of portion 30 from the center of pivot structure 40 to circular edge 30c is slightly less than, or is at least a sliding fit within, the inner radius from the center of pivot structure 40 to edge d (FIG. 1) of portion 20. That is to say, the portion fits closely within the portion 20, and can be freely rotated through a full circle on pivot 40.

The first embodiment of the pivot structure, shown at in FIG. 3, comprises a pair of tubular projections 41, 42 projecting outwardly from webs 30a, 30b, the longitudinal axis of each of tubular projections 41, 42 being coaxial and passing through the radial center of portion 30, i.e., the point thereon equidistant from all portions of circular edge 300. The central base portions 41a, 42a of tubular projections 41, 42 are depressed slightly with respect to the general body of webs 30a, 30b. The pivot structure 40 of FIG. 3 further comprises a boss 43, 44 built outwardly of Webs 20a, 20b respectively, and integral therewith. The bosses 43, 44 are symmetrically located with respect to the aforesaid radial center, and accordingly with respect to the tubular projections 41, 42. A tubular groove 45, 46 appears in the inner faces of bosses 43, 44 respectively to define a pair of inner cylindrical projections 47, 48 respectively of bosses 43, 44. Projections 47, 48 extend inwardly to a slightly greater extent than the main body portion of webs 20a, 20b.

The parts are proportioned such that projections 4-7, 48 are mutually coaxial respectively with central base portions 41a, 42a, and tubular projections 41, 42. Further, the parts are proportioned so that the entire bosses 43, 44, including projections 47, 48, form a rotatable fit with the entire tubular projections 41, 42. Since the webs 20a, 20b can be sprung apart manually at the center of edge 21, and since the webs 30a, 3011 can be forced together manually at the center of edge 31, the portions 20, 30 can initially be pivotally connected by compressing the center of edge 31 and springing apart the center of edge 21, aligning projections 47, 48 with 41, 42, and then allowing the edges 21, 31 to be restored thus engaging the pivot parts as shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 4 there is shown, at 40', a second embodiment of the pivot structure, in this case requiring two extra parts, for a total of four. In this embodiment, circular cylindrical columns 41', 42' on webs 30a, 30b are carried for coaxial rotation within circular cylindrical apertures 46' in webs 20a, 20b. Caps 43', 44' snap into place upon columns 41, 42' at snap fasteners 49, to retain columns 41', 42' axially within apertures 45', 46. This embodiment is simpler to produce, although it includes two additional parts.

As aforesaid, all the parts are preferably molded in plastic, and in one highly useful form of the invention, the plastic can be chosen so as to be transparent, so that the presence of record 50 within the closed hanger 10 can be detected visually, and further so that the decal 50a (FIG. 2) which is customarily located at the center of the record 50 and which bears the title and particulars of the performance thereon, can also be detected visually through the closed hanger 10.

In operation, a record 50 is inserted into the hanger 10 by rotating the portion 20 into the open position relative to portion 30 as shown in FIG. 2, and then inserting the record 50 edgewise into the space between the opposed webs 30a, 30b at edge 31. The portion 20 is then rotated to the closed position shown in FIG. 1, and the record may be hung from hook 22. It will be noted that since hook 22 is on a radius which is perpendicular to diameter -D--D, there will be no opening torque applied as between portions 20, 30 due to the weight of any of the parts when the hanger 10 is hung from hook 22. The problem of record warpage is entirely removed by hanging the records 50 in edgewise suspension. Additionally, the playing surfaces of the record 50 are protected by the container aspect of the hanger 10 against damage either against foreign objects (such as the usual horizontal rack structure) or as between adjacent records 50 in a storage cabinet.

Moreover, by employing a hanger such as is taught with the present invention, the lateral spacing of a plurality of stored records is very flexibly determined. That is, if records are stood on edge on a static surface, they are likely to fall over if momentarily unsupported, and there must he supports of some kind which are awkward to move as when leafing through the records for a particular record. On the other hand, when the records are hung on an overhead bar (not shown) or the like by the individual hooks 22, they can be moved to any lateral position easily, and cannot fall over or the like while this is being done. There is no storage space allocated to supports, all horizontal space can be occupied by hangers. This means the number can be increased, in a given space, and the space itself is flexible, since there is no fixed lateral supports, the hanger itself supplying that.

Finally, the hanger 10, when fabricated in a transparent material as above, allows instantaneous identification of the record contained therein. A subsidiary aspect of this feature resides in the fact that the individual hanger 10 can be pivoted away from the hanging stack of hangers 10 (not shown) upon the hook 22 thereof for full visual inspection of the record 50 therein through the transparent surfaces thereof without removing that hanger 10 from engagement with the bar or the like upon which it is hanging. That is to say, not only can the record 50 be seen through the body of hanger 10, but the individual hangers 10 can rapidly be pivoted out toward the observer one at a time without removing them from the horizontal stack of hanging hangers 10. This, plus the ability to rapidly shuflle the order of records in a horizontal stack, makes the present invention an excellent expedient for seriatum playing, as at parties or by a disc jockey.

What has been described are two presently preferred, but merely illustrative, embodiments of the invention. Many changes and modifications in the specific illustrated structure can of course be practiced within the scope of the invention, as will be fully understood by those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A hanger for storing a disc-shaped phonograph record comprising:

(a) a container adapted to enclose and support said record on edge therein, including (i) a first portion having an open edge leading into the interior thereof and large enough to accept half said record edgewise,

(ii) a second portion having an open edge leading into the interior thereof large enough to accept said first portion edgewise and thereby to accept the second half of said record edgewise,

(iii) pivot means connecting said first and second portions for rotation of one said portion relative to the other between a position wherein the open edges of said portions face one another and interior of both portions is totally enclosed and a position wherein the open edges of said portions face substantially in the same direction;

(b) means associated with the outer periphery of said second portion to permit said container to hang from and freely move along a rod in which said means is a hook means located on the outer pheriphery of said second portion on a radius substantially perpendicular to the open edge of said second portion so that said enclosed container is normally not permitted to open when hung from a rod;

(c) wherein said pivot means, allows rotation of said first and second portions relative to each other through a full circle so that full edgewise access of a disc-shaped phonongraph record to the interior of said first portion is afforded; and

(d) wherein said first and second portions are substantially semicircular in their interior outline to define a disc-shaped interior when said portions are rotated to full facing open edge orientation.

2. A hanger for storing a disc-shaped phonograph record as defined in claim 1, in which said pivot means comprises male parts on opposing sides of one of said portions adjacent to the open edge of said portion and female parts on opposing sides of the other of said portions adjacent to the open edge of said portion, said male and female parts facing and mating with one another, and means for forming a locking relationship between each set of male and female parts.

3. A hanger for storing a disc-shaped phonograph record as defined in claim 1, in which said first and second portions are transparent so as to allow viewing of the record stored therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

